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Special Feature
National History Day 2001 Prize Essays
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NATIONAL HISTORY DAY is an annual, yearlong program in which students learn historical research, analysis, and communication skills. Using both primary and secondary sources, students in grades six through twelve research topics related to an annual theme. Working individually or in groups of up to five students, they present their findings in creative museum-like exhibits, dramatic performances, or in multimedia documentaries. Entrants in the research paper category work individually, producing a scholarly paper accompanied by an annotated bibliography. Students compete in district or regional contests, with the top winners advancing to the state competitions. Each year the competition culminates with the National History Day finals, held in June at the University of Maryland. At each level, groups of judges evaluate the entries and provide students with positive feedback. The judges are usually history professionals: educators, public historians, and archivists. The 2002 contest focused on the theme: "Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History." |
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During the 2002-2003 school year, National History Day invites students to research topics related to this year's theme, "Rights and Responsibilities in History." The theme is broad enough in scope to encourage investigation of topics ranging from local to world history. To understand the historical importance of their topics, students must ask questions of time and place, cause and effect, change over time, and impact and significance. They must ask not only when events happened but also why they happened and what impact they had. What factors contributed to their development? Regardless of the topic selected, students must not only present a description of it, but also draw conclusions about how their topic affected individuals, communities, nations, or the world. |
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The National History Day encourages students investigating this year's theme to think of rights and responsibilities in expansive terms, as parts of a "web of connections": People live their lives in a web of connections with other human beings. Within that web they have rights and responsibilities as members of families, as participants in politics, as producers or consumers, or in any of the other myriad roles humans assume during their lifetimes. Rights and responsibilities have taken many forms. America's founders believed that individuals had certain fundamental rights, simply by virtue of being human. In other societies, rights depended upon membership in a group or class. Institutions – governments, churches, corporations — have also enjoyed certain rights and responsibilities. Students might focus on the origin or impact of a right, on specific rights, on the issue of citizenship and the rights and responsibilities that accompany such status, conflicts between rights and responsibilities, as well as a host of other issues. The National History Day has published a list of sample topics; a much abbreviated list includes: "The Geneva Convention and the Rights of POWs," "The ACLU and the Defense of Liberty in America," "Adam Smith and the Right of Free Trade," and "Changing Ideals of Citizenship in Ancient Rome." |
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The theme is a broad one, so topics should be carefully selected and developed in ways that best use students' talents and abilities. Students may create documentaries, exhibits, papers, and performances for entry into National History Day competitions. |
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History professionals around the country provide archival research ideas and assistance to teachers and students. Local and state historical societies, as well as state offices of the National History Day organization, are excellent starting places. Teachers and students should also consult the National History Day web site for further information about this year's theme, and for other information including a new rule book and an extensive listing of sample topics. The web site may be found at <http://nationalhistoryday.org">. |
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The History Teacher congratulates all participants in the National History Day contests. We are pleased to publish the prize-winning essays of the Senior and Junior individual paper categories, chosen as finalists in the 2002 National History Day competition. |
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| *Editor's Note: The History Teacher publishes annually the Senior and Junior Division prize-winning essays chosen in the National History Day competition. |
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